Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
WO 95112221 2 1 7 S 0 7 4 PCT/CA94/00576
PORTABLE; BOOSTER BATrERY
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to batteries and more specifically to
5 batteries that ~re moved from location to location, to connect to different
devices, especi~lly discharged or dead batteries of motor vehicles.
BACKGROUND OF THE JNVENTION
Most alltomobiles ~re presentl~ po~erecl by ~n intern~l combustion
eng~ne ~vhich must be spun up to speed externally before they can operate.
10 The engines ~re usll~lly spun up to speed by ~n electric motor th~t is powered
by a b~ttery. Tlle l~ttery is then chArged by ~ generator connected to tlle
engine once the engine is operating or running. Tlle battery is usually able to
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store enougll charge for tlle periods that the engine is not nlnning in order to
start the engine wllell needed.
When the battery does not have sufficient cllarge to st~rt the engine,
~ w~y must be found to recharge the battery or byp~ss the battery with a
5 sep~r~te cllarge. Since very often ~ discharged battery is c~used by ~n external
drain sucll ?~S le?,ving the ligllts on or playing the r~dio, once the engine is
st?lrted by either recharging the b~ttery or byp~ssing it by sending a separate
charge the ~utomol~ile will continue to operate properly.
Since there ~re many things that will temporally cause a battery to lose
10 its charge, the need to rech~rge or bypass batteries with separate charges is
common. Very often 7~nother or booster battery is brought to the vicinity of
the dead b~ttery and electrical c~bles ~re used to connect the booster battery
to the de~d battery in parallel in order to recharge ~nd/or bypass the dead
b~ttery. Tllis often kno~vn as boosting or jump st~rting the dead b?lttery or
15 engine.
~ n this method of boosting, the cables are disconnected from the
batteries ~fter each use so as to prevent short circuits. This method and
structure however, is cumbersome since there are at le~st two parts and they
demand great attention since there are 4 connections to make and a bad
20 connection in either one will result in ~ short circuit or failure to start tlle
englne.
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~_ 217So7,~ .
Somc manufacturers ha e tricd to resol~ve the problcm by cotnbi~ g
the battery alld cables in one uDjt Thc prob~e~n~ that ba~e ansen uith these
units a~e that the cables wbicb are pelmanently connected to the battery are
alw~ys live so ~bey have to be p~otected as to not touch each other. The
S amount of amperage available il~ these batteries is vely large alld if the cables
touch each other it would i~sue a short circuit and damagc the cables and
battenes. To isolate the live cables, some marlufacturer~ have us~d protec~re
p~uches. These a~e llot practica~ to use s~nce thcy are ofte~ in the way when
try~ng to boost. Also it is time con~uming to put the cables in and out of ~e
10 pouche~.
Other ma~ufacturers have mcoTorated a male ci~,ar lighter plug at the
end of the cables permit~ng the us~r to plug ~his into the female cigar lighter
plug of the vehicle. The probIem with t~is unit is tbat one ca~ ollb use this
tool on vehicles equipped with ~emale cigar ligbterplugs. ~so, siDcc the plugs
15 almost ~Iways haYe a ~a~mum a~lpelage rating of 30 amps and that most
starter mo~o~s draw much more ~han 30 amps., ~he capac~ is not adequa~e.
U.S. Patent 4,9~3,473 descnbes an ~u~lialy po~er saurce with charger
and integral light ~ouTce. ~e battely is co~tained inside a b0c with a hinged
top. The cables are also cantauled inside the ba~ ne~t to the battesy. In
20 order to remove or s~ore the cables, the bo~ must be opened. The ope~ing of
the box alsa esposes the te~mina~s of the battery, wbic~ bc
disadvantageous a~ well as incc~ ~cn~ ~lso, ~he Cont~inment of the cab1es
311
L~ Ul : ].~3- ~3-9~ 7~ IY 77() ~ 4~ ~ +~'1 8~ i:ff ~
217507~
insidc the box is not orderly and removal of tan~gled cables is also an
inGonvenience i~ addition to the necessi~ of opcning the box.
SUMMARY A~D OBJECIS OF THE INVENTION
It is any object of the prese~t illven~ivn to provide a por~blc booster
5 batte~y Y hich CaD be easily carried ~o a car wilh a dead batteIy a~d connect~to the dead batte~y of the ca~ i~ order t~ ptovide sufficient Gbarge ~o start the
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WO 95/12221 PCT/CA94/0057
2~Zso14
engine. It is also ~n object of the present invention to m~ke the port~ble
booster l)~ttery e~sy to use, m~int~in ~nd s~fe from electric~l sllort circuits
which could damage the b~ttery, the cables ~nd the surrounding environme~t.
TIle present invention achieves these objectives by providing an
5 electrical energy storage device SUCIl as a sealed non spillable battery inside a
housing. C~bles ~re connected to the termin~ls of tlle b~ttery and extend
outside tlle 110US;I1g. On the ends of these c~bles ?~re b~ttery or booster
clAmps which 7~re designed to cl~mp on ~nd electric~lly connect to the
termin~ls of the de~d battery or ~ny other part of electric~l system of the
10 automol~ile. When the c~bles ~nd the b?tte~ cl~mps ~re not being used, the
batte~y clamps c~n be positioned inside holsters th?~t are connected to the
housing. The holsters cover the battery cl~mps and blocl~ the battery clamps
from electrically contacting the surrounding environment. In this way the
cl~mps ?re protected when they ~re not in use, ~nd this prevents electrical
15 short circuits from occurring which would d~m~ge property.
Inside tlle holsters is positioned ~ bit me~ns for connecting with the
battery cl~mp when tlle clamps are positioned inside the holsters. A groove
can also be formed in the housing to retain the c~bles close to tlle housing.
The entire unit tllen becomes vely compact ~nd e~sy to tr~nsport. A handle
20 can ~lso be provided in the housing.
The holsters c~n be pivotably ~ttached to the housing by a least 90, in
order to m~ke is easier to insert ~nd remove the b~ttery cl~mps. The holsters
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WO 95/12221 21 7 5 0 7 ~ PCT/CA94100576
e~ch inclucle a cover wllicll is rollnded ~nd closed at one end ~nd flat and
opell at allotllel sul~stantially opposite elld.
A recbarging connection or plug can be connected to the energystorage
device and either positioned on tlle housing or extending from the housing in
5 order to recharge the storage device. In a preferred ernbodiment, the
recllarging connection is a m~le cig~r ligllter plug wllicll can be plugged into
tlle cig~r ligllter of ~n automol)ile in order to rech~rge. An accessory
connection can also be provided on the housing to electrically connect to
~ccessories such as 12 volt lights, vacuum cleaners and compressors in order
10 to power these devices. n~is ~ccessory connection is preferably a female cigar
lighter. A display means is also preferably connected to the energy storage
device and positioned on the housing to display how much ch~rge the energy
stor~ge device cont~ins.
Another object of the present invention is to provide ~ unit wl1ich
15 simple in design, rugged in construction, ~nd economical to manuf~cture.
The various features of novelty which ch?lracterize the invention are
pointed out with particulal-ity in the clainls annexed to and forming a part of
tl1is disclosure. For a better understanding of tlle invention, its operating
advant?lges and specific objects attained by its uses. reference is made to the
20 accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in wllich preferred
embodiments of tlle invention are illustrated.
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WO 95/12221 PCT/CA94/0057
501 4
BRI EF DESCRIPTION OF THE D RAWINGS
In tlle dr~wings
Figure t is a plan view of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a partial cross sectional side vie~v according to section
line Ir - II of Figure I ~ncl witll tlle holster pivoted
approximately 30;
Figure 3 is a view of the bit means witllout the cover of the
llolster ~nd with a portion of the housing;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of anotller embodiment of tlle
invention;
Figure 5 is ~ view of one recharging plug:
Figure 6 is a view another recharging plug.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the drawings, in particulal Figure 1, the unit comprises of
a llousing I which is prefer~bly made out of plastic. Inside the housing 1 is
the electrical storage device which is preferably ~ sealed non-spillable battery.
First and second electrical cables 6 are connected to terminals of the battery
inside tlle l~ousing 1. The cables 6 e~ctend outside tlle housillg and are
20 preferably lleld to tlle housing by grooves 10 wllell tlle cables are not in use.
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2175071~
~ t ~he ~ther end of th~ cable 6 ~rom the batte~ inside the housLng 1,
are clamp means 7 for electric~lly cl)nnectlng the ca~le to the term~n~ls of a dead
b~tt~ry or porlions Or an ~lectrical system~
Holster mearls 4 are prefera~ly posi~ioned on oppositc sides of ~h~
5 hou~ing :1 The holstcr m~ns 4 inclu~es ~1 cover ~ which is rounded at on~ en~
and opened at another en~ 22. The holster means 4 also includes bit means 5 for
connecting w~th the cl~mp mean~ 7 wh~n th~ mp m~ans is inside the hnlster
means 4. The cover 8 is matie c)t nnn-~leetricdlly conductive material and it is
preferable that Ihe bit me~ns S ~ml th~: h~usiIIg ~ are also non-conducting. Th~
10 holster m~ans 4 is pivotably connect~(l t~ th~ housing 1 by at least 90. 'rhis al~ows
easier insertion ~nd rem()val ~f th~ clamp rl~alls 7 independent o~ the p~sition l~f
the housing l. The bit means S is preteral~ly p~itiun~ suh~talltially th~ middle
of the holster with regard te~ the len~th uf the ~I~USillg 1.
The llnit ~lso can have s~ reLhar~in~ cclioll 12 for charging th~
15 energy storage devie~. Prt:~rclbly L~iS re~;i}arging conncctinn 12 is ~ m~lc cig~r
Iighter plug which can exteEId from the housing ~ in order tO plug into the cigar
lighter receptacl~ of dn ~u~m()bile. An ac~essory power conn~ction 11 i9 also
pro~ided foJ powering acce~s~?ri~s wi~ unit. This acccsshry conne(:ti(.)n ] ~ is
preferably a fernale cigar Jight~r r~c~p~acle and can be used to pow~r such
20 ~quipment as portable li~,bts~ invertors, comp~essors, vaCuum cleaners and
refrigerator~.
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L ~J - `J - `~'~ 19 77 () 884, _ t ~ ~3 8~ ~ 3~ 4~
21 7so 7 1
IJ1 order to detcrlnin~ the ~muunt of ~:h~rge~ ~n tht: ~n~r~y ~t~r~g~ ~levice,
the present invention has a display rneans 13 which displays the pre~ent charge of the
device. ~he preferred embodiment of th~ di~pl~y means consists of a test button 14
and indicator lights 15.
S Tn u.se the uni~ or~e p~ he ho~ g 1 close ~o Ihe engin~ one wishes to
boost, either on its bottom 3 or on its b~ck side 9. Next one pi~ots the holster 4 to
the desired angle, opens the clamp 7, and r~m~ves the cl~mp 7 from the holster. The
positiYe clamp i~ connected to th~ positive post of the ~atlery one wi~hes to bo~st, the
ne~ative clamp Is c~nnected to a good ground a~ the engLn~, The en~in~ i~ th~n
10 started. To use the boo~ter ~s a power supply~ you plug the male cig~r pluy uf .lny
12 ~olt access~y into the fcInalc cigar plug on the unit. . -
ln anoth~r embo~iiment of the present inYenaintl, as shown in Fi~gure 4, the
rechargin~ connection can al~o be the same as the aece~ory conncction 11. A speci~l ~
recharging pJug ~6 as shown in Figure 5, or 11 as shown in Figure 6, is connected to - -
the accessnry connection 11. With th~ r~h~rgillg plug ~6 of Fi~ure 5, one end isplugged Into the acc~ssory connectio~ n~ the L~th~:r ~n~l is l~lu~ Lu ~ Le~
cigar Jighter receptacle in an aut~mobi]e. With the rechar~ plu~ 17 ol Figure ~, the
male cigar lighter plug ~ is plugge~ intu th~ s~ onIlection 11 ~nd the other
end has a wall ou~le~ plug l9 which i~ plugged into a wal] outlèt. Th~ embodilIlent of
20 Figure 4 also has a rechar~in~ ht 20 indic~ g Lhat t~e battery is recharging.
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2~SO'l 4
wo 95112221 PcT/cAs4/on57
While specific embodilnellts of tlle inventioll h~ve been shown ~nd
described in det7lil to illustl~te tlle ~pplic~tion of tlle principles of the
invention, it will be understood th~t tlle invention m~y be embodied otlle~wise
without dep7~rting from such principles.
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